Surgical instrument



April 4, E G L SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 26, 1937 WAY/2 Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STES 7 SURGICAL Edward Gauly,

INSTRUMENT Cleveland, Ohio Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. 122,404

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to surgical instruments, and more particularly to surgical instruments for use in operations on the eye, as for example surgical treatment of cataracts for reopening a path for the rays of light to reach the retina either by the side of the existing obstruction or by its absolute removal. It is important that these operations are eifected with relatively small incisions to decrease trauma astigmatism and that the number of instruments inserted into the eye is kept to a minimum to reduce the disturbance and hemorrhage of the eye and also the danger of infection, so that healing can be expected more promptly.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a combination instrument for surgical operations of the type referred to above, which instrument is adapted to be used for several steps in an eye operation, materially decreases the danger of trauma astigmatism and laceration and, by permitting several progressive steps in eye operations to be effected by a single introduction of the instrument into the eye, reduces danger of infection.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a combined syringe and spatula instrument which may effectively be used. for freeing the ciliary body and iris or diaphragm and replacing same into its normal position after removal of the lens in a major eye operation and which may also be used for flushing the aqueous chamber of the eye and removing cortical matter remains therefrom, thus reducing the danger of trauma astigmatism and laceration.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a combined syringe and spatula instrument which may effectively be used in either primary or secondary eye operations for replacing the ciliary body and iris to its normal position, flushing the aqueous chamber of the eye of cortical matter remains and removing by suction and holding action cortical matter remains from the eye.

In addition the invention has certain other marked superiorities which radically distinguish it from presently known structures. The improvements or superior characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction are clearly set forth in the following specification and the appended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the combination surgical instrument according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the spatula and syringe extension of the instrument with the liquid container attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a front view of the spatula and syringe extension of the instrument with the liquid container attached thereto.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional View through the syringe attachment, the section being taken on line #4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional View similar to Figure 4, the section being taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In the exemplified form of the invention shown in the drawing the combination surgical instrument comprises an elongated tubular member 2, having at its front end a spatula and syringe attachrnent 3 and at its rear end an operating lever arrangement 4 removably connected therewith. The spatula and syringe attachment 3 is extended with its cone-shaped hollow base 5 into the front end of the tubular member 2 and has extended from the front end of said base a tubular spatula 6, the front portion l of which is angularly offset, approximately 40 from the longitudinal axis of said spatula, and flattened to form a smooth spatula surface adapted to be used for freeing the ciliary body and iris and replacing the iris into its normal position.

Flattening of the front portion l of the spatula 6 is preferably effected by grinding down the wall of portion 7 at its top and bottom surface as the width of said portion should be equal throughout the entire length of said portion. The front end of portion 1 is slotted to fork-like shape as at 8, to permit of cortical matter being securely retained between the small prongs 9 of said end, when such cortical matter has been sucked between said prongs as will be later described. The rear end of the base is formed with an extension it provided with, ridges II and carries a rubber bag I2 for a liquid M to be used during flushing operations with the instrument.

The rubber bag l2 of the syringe and spatula attachment 3, when said attachment is secured to the tubular member 2, is fully located within member 2 and actuated upon by means of the lever arrangement 4, embodying a cone-shaped base l5, securely and removably seated in the rear end of member 2, and an operating lever l6 pivotally engaged with the base l5 by means of a pin H. The operating lever l6, preferably made of thin steel band, embodies an axial offset l8 near the pivotal support of saidlever to effect progressive compression of the rubber bag l2 from its rear end toward the front end thereof and equalized yielding pressure on said bag when the operator presses the actuating knob [9, extended through a circular opening 20 in the member 2 and threadedly connected with the front end of lever l6.

In surgical operations the above described instrument embodying my invention may be employed for several progressive steps, such as flushing the eye, freeing the ciliary body and iris and replacing same to its normal position and finally for removing cortical matter remains by sucking these remains closer to the incision and removing these remains out of the eye, the fork-shaped end of the instrument under suction lodging the remains between its prongs and permitting free removal of said remains without danger of loosing same.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An attachment for a surgical, liquid dispensing instrument comprising an axially perforated, angularly bent spatula means, means at one end of said spatula means for connecting same to a. surgical instrument, and a flattened, thin and flexible, axially perforated end portion at the other end of said spatula means.

2. An attachment for a surgical, liquid dispensing instrument comprising an axially perforated, angularly bent spatula means, means at one end of said spatula means for connecting same to a surgical instrument, a flat, thin, somewhat fiexible, axially perforated end portion at the other end of said spatula means, and a slot in said other end portion of said spatula means at the end thereof intersecting its axial perforation.

3. An attachment for a surgical, liquid dispensing instrument as described in claim 2,

' wherein the slot at the end of said spatulameans is V-shaped to provide a fork-shaped outlet and 20 gripping portion for said end portion.

EDWARD GAULY. 

